Minnow bucket



Nov. 21, 19

J. UNGER Filed Nov. 7, 1958 INVENTOR. T/fus J M r nite States atcnt fifice 3,009,281 MINNOW BUCKET Titus .I. Unger, Dell Rapids, S. Dak. Filed Nov. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 772,534 1 Claim. (CI. 4356) My invention relates to a minnow bucket.

An object of my invention is to provide a minnow bucket which can be manually carried, and which can be towed behind or beside a boat while the minnows are in the bucket, with means being provided so that while the minnow bucket is being towed, it will present a streamlined contour to the water through which the bucket passes.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for admitting fresh water from the lake, or other body of water through which the bucket is being towed, into the bucket whereby the water supply will be fresh at all times.

A further object of my invention is to provide suitable buoyant members positioned at either side of the bucket so as to provide means to keep the bucket in a fixed position, so that the door of the bucket will be upright at all times.

A further object of my invention is to provide a door which can be easily opened with the bucket being practically in any position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a counterbalanced arrangement so that the proper portions of the bucket will be in an upright position while it is being towed.

With these and other objects in view, my invetnion consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various. parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis of the bucket and showing the bucket in its travelling position,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a forward View of the bucket, and

FIGURE 4 is a rear or bottom view of the bucket.

The present application is a continuation-impart application of my application Serial No. 748,271 (now abandoned), filed July 14, 1958, on a minnow bucket.

My invention relates to a minnow bucket in which the minnows are maintained in a fresh condition due to the fact that the bucket will be constantly replaced with fresh lake water or the like since the bucket will travel through such lake water and will include suitable openings for replenishing the water supply.

I have used the character to designate a cylindrical wall forming the principal part of the minnow bucket, and attached to the wall 10 is a rear end wall 11 and a forward conical wall 12.

The various walls 10, 11 and 12 are made of a suitable plastic having a specific gravity less than water to thereby render the bucket buoyant besides its natural buoyancy. I have further used the character 13 to indicate a bail attached at 14 to the portion 12, the bail '13 including the loop at 15 to which is attached at 16 the towing line 17.

The character 18 indicates a torsion spring receiving the hinge pin 19, this arrangement providing a pivoting point for the angularly positioned door 20, the door 20 including the openings 21 throughout, the door 20 also including the end piece 21a and side pieces 21b. The character 23 indicates an opening in the wall 10, this opening merging with the further opening 24, which opening 24 is cut out of the conical end 12.

The torsion spring 18 is adapted to normally keep the door in closed position, and opposite the door having openings 21 I provide a series of further openings 25 which are adapted to allow the water from. the lake, etc. to enter into the bucket.

The character 26 indicates a rectangular piece of iron which is molded within the plastic portion 27, this member 26 thereby serving as a Weighted member to insure that the door 20 is in its upper position at all when the bucket is being towed through, or is resting in the water.

Attached along the wall 10 at 28 (see FIGURES 3 and 4) are a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical hollow chambers 29 which provide suitable buoyancy so that the bucket will travel in the position shown and with the door being at the top of the bucket.

Regardless of how the bucket is thrown into the water, the weight 26 will provide means whereby the door will always be at the upper position.

It will now be noted from the foregoing construction that the bucket can be readily carried by means of the bail 13 and filled with minnows, and when the bucket is in the water it can be towed by a boat with the door being uppermost at all times.

It will be noted also that regardless of the position of the bucket, whether partially vertical or not, the hand can be placed into the bucket due to the angu-larly positioned door 20, since as viewed from FIGURE 3 for instance, by merely forcing the hand downwardly against the door it will open so that the hand can grasp a minnow.

The function of the counter-balanced weight 26 has already been explained, and it will thus be noted that my invention provides all of the advantages mentioned in the objects of my invention with further advantages being apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A minnow bucket comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a pair of longitudinally positioned buoyant chambers positioned at either side of said casing, said casing having a conical forward end wall, a spring-urged door having openings therein, said casing having an upper wall provided with a substantially rectangular opening against which the perimetral portions of said spring-urged door bear, said spring-urged door being angularly inclined and being pivoted to said conical end wall, said end wall having a further opening communicating with said casing opening, said casing having further openings opposed to said door openings, said casing having a rear wall, a weighted member attached to said rear wall in opposed relation to said door whereby said door will remain in an upper position when placed in water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 123,212 Lumley Oct. 22, 1940 D. 163,697 Keiding et a1. June 19, 1951 1,161,089 Waldo NOV. 23, 1915 1,214,389 Toth Jan. 30, 1917 1,646,623 McConnell Oct. 25, 1927 1,843,563 Knoernschild Feb. 2, 1932 1,934,815 Parrott Nov. 14, 1933 2,111,959 Baxter Mar. 22, 1938 2,149,996 Gulden Mar. 7, 1939 

